Klay Thompson, the veteran shooting guard of the Golden State Warriors and member of the “Splash Bros” approaches free agency. Various teams are reportedly showing interest in him, according to Shams Charania from The Athletic and Stadium.
Having spent his entire career with the Warriors, Thompson, now 34 years old, maybe contemplating a change of scenery as he seeks a second act in the later stages of his career.
During an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, Charania outlined several teams that might be considering adding Thompson to their roster.
He’s set to be a free agent at the end of the season. I expect him to test the marketplace. I would expect both Florida teams, I would expect both LA teams, I would expect potentially a couple East Coast teams to have interest in Klay Thompson.
Charania suggests that retaining Thompson will require significant effort from Golden State. Despite being an integral part of the championship-winning core, his price tag might exceed what the team is willing to pay.
As of right now, unless there’s a miracle extension, he’s going to test the marketplace. And I think the Warriors have understood going into the year, after they didn’t extend him, his future is up in the air just for the simple fact that he’s going to be going into free agency.
“I think the lack of an extension for Klay Thompson has been an issue and his free agency is looming..
He was amazing last night and he’s shown that he can still help a team” @ShamsCharania #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/VQL08SyDEW
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) February 16, 2024
Thompson’s current season average of 17.3 points per game represents his lowest since his sophomore year in the NBA. Notably, in a recent game against the Utah Jazz, he made a significant impact off the bench for the first time since his rookie year, scoring 35 points in a pivotal win.
Klay Thompson talks about coming off the bench against the Utah Jazz
The NBA community was stunned by the Golden State Warriors’ bold move to start Thursday night’s game with Klay Thompson on the bench. There was widespread curiosity about his reaction, but to everyone’s surprise, Thompson not only excelled but also embraced the decision gracefully.
Klay Thompson (Via Yahoo Sports)After the game, he said,
I found out this morning. Me and Steve [Kerr] had a good talk about it. You can do two things: you can pout or you can go out there and respond. I thought I did the latter very well tonight. Especially you know turnovers, missed a few boxouts though, more importantly, I realized I’m going to play a ton of minutes. So, you just gotta let the ego go when you think of coming off the bench and all that.
Coming off the bench, Klay Thompson delivered an impressive performance, tallying 35 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists while shooting at a remarkable 59%. It was precisely the type of showing that Warriors fans had been eagerly anticipating throughout the season.
